Real Estate Sales – Should you fix up your home before listing it?

Yes, you should fix all of the obvious things you can. When buyers visit homes, they look for the things they see that obviously need some fixing. Most buyers would rather not see the repairs in front of them. They want to buy a house that is in ‘perfect’ repair.

You should put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Think like a buyer. Would you want to repair or fix up anything in your new home? No, you would not. While you are still in the buyer’s frame of mind, tour your house. Make a list of all the things you see that need repair.

Here are eleven obvious things to look for and correction any defects:

1. Do your walls need a fresh coat of paint?
2. How about the trim?
3. Are all of your floors and carpets in good shape? Do they need cleaning?
4. Are your windows and shades okay? Are the screens in good condition?
5. Do your appliances work properly?
6. Eliminate squeaks and cracks of all kinds.
7. Is your basement clean and organized?
8. Is your roof in good condition and non-leaking?
9. Check all faucets, fixtures and knobs.
10. Make your lights as bright as you can.
11. Clean the fireplace.

The time and effort you put into this list will save you money and aggravation in the sales process. You can do these repairs yourself or hire someone else to do them for you. The money you spend doing this will come back to you in savings. Your house will show better and sell faster in tip-top shape.